


Zep Writing Prompt Challenge 13 | The Scent of Turpentine

by Tangerine_Page



Category: Led Zeppelin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine_Page/pseuds/Tangerine_Page
Summary: From a creative photo prompt of a dark street with a couple of lamplights. I chose to explore Jimmy as an art student during his time at Sutton Art College circa 1962.
Relationships: Jimmy Page/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Zep Writing Prompt Challenge 13 | The Scent of Turpentine

It was dark and late.

Jimmy was finally ready to leave the studio after a long day of daubing his canvas.

The solventy scent of oil paint mixed with turp stung at his nostrils as he tried to thin and blend the colours. He marvelled at the sculptural quality and thickness of the paint. It would be an age before the oils would be dry enough for him to run his fingers over the contoured landscape of the piece. He stared into the amber eyes that he had given life to, the ruby lip and soft rose of the flesh, concealed and exposed by the tumbling silk robes that loosely fitted his model. Jimmy drew from the great master painters, he wasn’t interested in abstract expression. He craved perfection in his anatomy, whilst his tones and colours were elevated to heavenly levels of vivid expression. More than anything he wished to breathe the vibrant essence of life into his work.

Jimmy wiped his hands with a turpentine soaked rag to get the worst of the paint off, but his hands forever remained mottled with the tones of his creation. He enjoyed seeing the paint run into the cracks of his skin and the scent, the smell connected him to his work, even when he was away from it.

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders slowly into his leather jacket, they had become stiff from being bent over his canvas all day. He gave a cursory glance to the studio before flipping off his work light and heading towards the door. It was then that he noticed a soft glow emanating from across the studio. Someone else was working late too. He hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t alone.

Jimmy stepped quietly over to the lamp light and coughed softly to announce his presence. A mound of warm auburn curls twitched and jumped on the surface of the desk where a fellow young artist had fallen asleep at her workstation.

A short gasp issued from beneath the curls and Jimmy immediately and properly apologised.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said feeling slightly awkward. “I thought I was here alone. I didn’t realise anyone else was working late..”

The girl rolled back her neck and shoulders and the curls fell away to reveal her face. Jimmy bit back his own gasp as he looked down into her amber eyes, her ruby lip and the blush of rose on her cheek where it had been pressed into the notebook on her desk. The faint trace of calligraphy transferred to her skin.

“Have we met?” Jimmy asked, mesmerised.

“I don’t think so,” she laughed quietly. “I’m Lilith. I’m new here. Which is why I’m working late. I’m terribly behind on my coursework.”

Jimmy rolled the name around his tongue, “Lilith.”

She looked up at him with intrigue as he mumbled her name.

“To be honest only my parents call me Lilith,” she grimaced. “I really go by Lili to my friends.”

Jimmy smiled at her, feeling the warmth of the friendship she extended to him.

“Are you heading out?” she asked, stretching her own cramped torso from hours slumped, literally, over her desk.

“Yes,” Jimmy replied. “Would you like to walk out with me? I can see your productivity has ended for today,” he smirked pushing his tongue into the side of his cheek, feeling emboldened for some reason.

Lilith returned the smirk with a raised eyebrow.

“I think you’re probably right,” she said rubbing at the ink on her cheek.

Jimmy watched Lilith as she packed her sketchbook into her worn leather satchel and put on her long herringbone coat. He offered his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her into the fresh coolness of the spring night.

They strolled down the darkened streets, dim lamplight pooling on the pavement, guiding them through the darkness. Jimmy lead them to the park.

“I want to show you something,” he said softly into the quiet night air.

His eyes now accustomed to the dark he navigated the beds, packed with sleeping tulips and daffodils that refused to close for the night. The path gave way to grass and they picked across the lawn on their tiptoes to avoid the crystals of dew soaking into their shoes. Within minutes they had arrived in the rose garden. Dense thorny bushes surrounded them and a single bench, picked out by the silvery glow of the moonlight was centred in the space. A trellis laden with pink flowers arced over the top of the secluded seat. Jimmy let go of Lilith’s arm and motioned for her to sit. She did so and he joined her.

The peace surrounding the rose garden at midnight was palpable. Jimmy watched as Lilith settled back into the bench and the roses became entwined in her long hair.

“Sit back with me Jimmy,” Lilith said. “Smell the roses, their perfume is so beautiful.”

Jimmy agreed to her request and leaned into the hard timber of the bench, closing his eyes. As he did so tiredness overwhelmed him and he sank softly into his own dreams. He sniffed but he couldn’t smell the roses.

“Lilith, I can’t smell them,” he said, scentless thoughts and colours started spinning though his mind. “Lilith I-”

And with that Jimmy fell off his seat and found himself on the studio floor, the heady stench of turp from the rag he had clenched in his hand making him feel almost nauseous.

Picking himself up he looked around the studio. He was alone. He looked back to his canvas. She was there, roses tangled in her hair. Her amber eyes. Lilith.

**Author's Note:**

> Jimmy enrolled at Sutton Art College somewhere around 1962 after falling ill with Glandular Fever when touring with Neil Christian & The Crusaders. Jimmy had also previously left school at 15, to pursue music as a career, a decision that was not supported by his school teachers (ha! I love this - he sure showed them)
> 
> Finally, for this fic, Jimmy’s daughter’s middle name is Lilith and he is a huge fan of Pre-Raphaelite work, for which there is a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti named Lady Lilith.
> 
> I love the idea of pondering on these little things that may have happened in Jimmy’s early life that give narrative to his known future. 🖤


End file.
